MAY 2016
Dear Laura,
My group returned from their trip to Italy and wrote a magnificent letter singing your praises and about the highlights of their trip. Thank you from the depths of my heart for all the work that you put into planning their journey which became a “trip of a lifetime” for them.
During the beginning stages of planning their trip I heard from all of them that the cost of the trip was a bit more than they were hoping to spend. I told them that all the components are unique because of the way they will be presented when they are on the trip…that it will not be cookie cutter, and they will not be herded around with 40 other travelers. Every experience that you planned for them was worth it. You definitely have the knowledge, talent and grace from God to put together all the right components to make experiences that touch the hearts and soul of the traveler. THANK YOU!
The email really is a great testimony of your abilities and they are spreading the word of your amazing talent.
Please share this email with your company staff…everyone should read about this…again thank you for your dedication to excellence!
Warmest regards,
Eva Drafta, CTC, DS, ACC
CONLIN TRAVEL
Signature Travel Network
—–
Eva,
Sorry it took so long for us to write you about our amazing trip. We’ve been busy getting back into our hectic lives.
Our trip was absolutely amazing. I could never have imagined how wonderful it would be. I am convinced it would not have been as exceptional without you and Laura’s help and organization. Your care and attention to detail made this trip “the trip of a lifetime”. I would be lying if I didn’t think things were looking bad at the start of the trip when our Delta airlines flight from Detroit to Paris was delayed, causing us to miss our connection. We were able to work out an alternative plan, basically on our own, and things got back on track. We have since had discussions with Delta and have resolved our issues. They have given us flier miles as compensation.
Positano was beautiful and we got to see all of it because our driver-guide Pepe was experienced and a local guy who had a great personality. Lorenzo, the other driver from the same company, drove us back and forth to the airport and train station and was delightful. We were very pleased with the Hotel, Buca di Bacco, and the staff was courteous and friendly. The view and room was spectacular. Our tour of the area was great. We visited many wonderful sites and Pepe stopped for many great picture moments. Unfortunately, I lost my prescription sunglasses the first day. The hotel staff looked feverishly but unsuccessfully for them.
Umbria was breathtaking and mysterious. Our stay at Casa Sari was comfortable and spacious. We felt at home and the view was spectacular. Gianluca drove us around for 5 days and he was very knowledgable. We stopped at some great places and his personal touch made it an great tour. He and I hit it off and I think became lifelong friends. We had some great conversations about Italy and America. We got a complete understanding of Umbria and its culture through well planned tour stops.
Venice was beautiful and the hotel, Mori il d’Oriente, was unbelievably awesome. Great location and we got the best rooms in the hotel with canal views. We were on our own here but the driver and guide were always there and on time.
Lake Como was our favorite stop. Words cannot describe how great this place is. The hotel, Barchetta Excelsior, was beautiful. Location, location, location! Couldn’t ask for a better stay. Roberta, “Robbie” was awesome. She was friendly, funny and very knowledgable. We really liked her and she gave us the grand tour of Lake Como. The food and the culture were the friendliest of all places we toured. I wished we could have stayed a few days more.
Our driver from Milan to Lake Como and back was great. He and I talked about Milan in depth. He was very knowledgable about Milan and Italy in general and we had discussions about economics, history and social matters. I was impressed.
Milan was historic and cosmopolitan. We had a wonderful time. The hotel was first class all the way. Our room was large and beautifully decorated. Diane and I bought a carry-on bag in order to bring home what we purchased in the shops. Our tour guide took us to all the key historical destinations that a one day tour could handle. She was an expert at this and we enjoyed her company.
We had no issues with our flights back to the USA. Everything was on-time and uneventful. Thank, God!
Overall, we were very impressed with the service we got from you and Cultural Italy. There is no question Cultural Italy is the best trip organizer we’ve ever dealt with. Laura brought the best of Italy to us and we are grateful. Every tour guide and driver was wonderful. They were knowledgable, funny, courteous, punctual and took the time to make us comfortable. The trip would not have been as spectacular without them. Your choice of hotels made our trip memorable.
I would like to thank you and Laura for the “trip of a lifetime”. I never expected the level of excellence you two gave us. Your insight and planning contributed to the success of this vacation and the attention to detail and personal touch made it fantastic. Kudos to you. We could never have dreamed we could have had this much fun. It was a “no worries” trip and that worked for us.
Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. We will definitely recommend you, Eva, and Cultural Italy (Laura). Please pass this email along to Laura. None of us uses Facebook or Instagram regularly or not at all so we were notable to post or send pictures throughout the trip. We had some issues with our phone companies so we had limited phone service. We did however take thousands of pictures so we have record of our wonderful trip.
WOW!!!
Mark and Diane Hepner